How to Make the Most out of a Bad PR Spin

You may have received bad PR as the result of a poor decision or even due to reasons beyond your control. After this happens, it can be difficult to determine your next step. However, you can make the most out of a bad situation. Since your name is already in the news, there are a number of ways you can spin the situation to your advantage. Even if you are not able to repair all of the damage caused by bad PR, you can limit it and build a foundation for future positive spin. Read on to learn more.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Limit the Effects of Bad PR

1. Apologize. If the reason for bad PR was a poor judgment call on the part of you or your organization, the first thing you should do is show that you are truly sorry. People will be more sympathetic to your case if they see that you regret what happened and are committed to stamping out similar problems in the future.

2. Choose a single consistent message on which you want to the media and the general public to focus. Repeat this message every time you communicate with the media, whether in a press release or in an interview. If your interviewer backs you into a corner, stay strong and keep communicating your point.

3. Issue a press release to announce how you will be addressing the issue that caused the bad PR spin. You can make the most of having your name in the news if you convince reporters who gave you bad coverage to follow up on how you are improving the situation.

4. Advertise the fact that you have remedied the problem that caused your PR issue. You can't assume that the media will tell your target audience that news. You may need to mount an aggressive campaign to let your customers or fans know that the reason for the bad PR has been addressed.

5. Create a forum, making yourself or your company available to listen to public opinion on the issue. If you give people a chance to speak out and you try to address their concerns, you'll have an easier time regaining their trust.

6. Continue to bring positive news to the attention of the local media. Make them aware of any charities you work with, improvements you've made to your community or benefits you offer to employees.

Tips & Warnings

• Be polite in any contact you have with the media. Most reporters consider negative behavior news and are more likely to publicize problems than not.
• Some PR experts focus on crisis response, specifically dealing with sudden problems and responding to them in such a way that spins the situation to your benefit. If your situation is particularly sticky, consider hiring one of these professionals.
• Many miscommunication problems are caused by more than one person attempting to speak for an organization. You can limit these problems by channeling all communication with the media through one spokesperson.

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